Strawberry top and runner cutter



' April 10, 1928. 1.665.998

- -J.BECH THOLD STRAWBERRY TOP AND RUNNER CUTTER Filed Dec. 21. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1,665,998 J. BECHTHOLD STRAWBERRY TOP AND RUNNER CQTTER April 10, 1928.

Filed Dec. 21. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Gaza JOHN nnonrnonn, or ZELMA, wnsnrneroiv, nssre noaor ONE-EIGHTH To AUSTIN A.

.FOOTE AND ONE-EIGHTH TO n'ssn L. rams, BOTHor-nLMA wAsHINe'roiv s'rnA wBEnRY Tor nnnnunnnniourrnn.

" Application filed December 21', 1926. a serial no. 156,188; j

' ,1Thisinventionrelates to a strawberry top and runner cutter. i

' 'An important object of the invention is to I provide a device of this character which may be employed to trim the runners and projectw ing top iportionsof strawberry plants either ata single or at opposite'sides of a row.

A further object of'the' invention is to produce a device of thischaracter which will trim these portions without pulling or drag ging out the plants, so that the plantsjare disturbeda'nd delayed intheir growth. -,A furthen'objec'tof the invention is to provide a combined lifting" and severing blade and ,a" spider wheel associated there- "-with and operated by movement bf the devicejalongftheground,'which has such co1 action "with ,theflblade that the vines are move d1longitudinally-of the blade, as the spider iforces them'i'nto engagement with the blade, so that there is'no pulling action upon thewines."

Thes and a a objects I attain by the construction" shown in "the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustrati'on' isshown a preferred embodiment ofv my invention and wherein Figure 1 1s aside elevation of a straw berry top and runner cutterc'onstructed in;

accordance with my invention Figure 2 is a plan view thereof; I Figure 3 is .alsection on the line 3 3 of Figure 2; j

' Figure 4is a section on the line 4 -4 of Figurel; 4 Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional View on the line 5 -5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a side elevationof the stub axle employed when a single plate is used.

0 Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates a plate which has formed inone end thereof a V-shaped notch 11. The walls of I this notch are beveled toward one side of the plate, as indicated at 12,.to provide relatively sharp cutting edges 13; This plate is ver tically disposed and the edge in whichthe notch is formed provides one endedge of the plate. Formed in the plate above and below the apex 14 of the notch are openings bearing the cutting edges and which is held in engagement withthe plate, hy meansh f a spring 18 surrounding the stub axle 16'be-1 tween the spiderand a spring seat 19 carried by the outer end of the axle;

The opening-15 which s employed torthe reception of the stub axle is always that opening most remote from the-slower edge of the plate. The arms 20 of the spider are longitudinally curvedin the direction ofroe tation of the spider when the plate is moved along the ground and the spider thus rothe ends of the arms. ,The curvature is 'tat ed by the engagement of the ground with suchthat'each-arm in its coactionwiththe Y.

lower or effective cutting edge 13 always presents-its-edgeto the cutting edge at anacute angle thereto;iwith the result that the point where the arm crosses th'ecutting edge I is constantly moving rearwardly upon this cutting edge toward the; base of the notch;

Adjacent its inner end, each. arm has an abrupt shoulder, which'is' substantially radi} 7 alto the axisof the spider." A vine picked up hy the point-formed at the forward edge of the pla'te',.by the notchll moves longitudinally of the Mada assisted in its movement byits natural tendency to remain stationary i and the3impulse given itby.thecoacting ar n of thespider. This arm longitudinally of the .blade will ordinarily serve to severthe at the apex ofthe notch, theradiallyedivine," but if it does not, wlienthe vine arrives rectedlface 21 will engage thereagainst and act with the plate to shear the vine. At this i 1 time, the upper edge of the notch engages against projectingv portions of the top of plants and moves them downwardly into the path of the arms of the spider-wheel, so that they too may be severed. ThearmsQO of the spider are preferably provided upon their rear faces or those faces Which are rearwardly disposed, as regards the cutting edge during the coaction ofithe arm-therewith and adjacent their outer ends, with outstanding ears 22, which will limit the depth to which the ends of. the arms will ice penetrate in softsoil." A -handlea23 is-secured to the plate to provide a means for propelling the same along the ground.

In the single form, suitable means 24am provided to prevent longitudinal shifting movement of the stub shaft through the plate 10. In the double form or thatform adapted for simultaneous operation upon opposite sides of a row of plants, aU shaped yoke is provided, the arms26 of which are each provided with a series of openings 27, for the reception of the inner ends of the stub axle and are further provided with means 28 for securing the stub axles in position in these openings. The arms of the yoke are preferably engaged by the ends of the handle, so that the yoke. is maintained in its properly vertical position, as indicated at 29. The handles 23 are, of course, reversely engageable with the plate, so that either cutting edge 13 may be brought into lay. p Since the construction hereinbefore set forth capable of a certain range of change and modification without materially departing from the spirit of the invention, I do not limit myself to such specific structure except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim i 1. In a strawberry runner cutter, a plate formed in one end thereof with a V-shaped lation to the notch that the point of intersection of the edge of the notch by each arm of the spider as it passes across the notch travels longitudinally of the lower cutting edge of the notch toward the apex thereof, the end of the plate through which the notch opens extending in advance of the arms of the spider.

2; In a strawberry runner cutter, a plate formed in one end thereof with a V-shaped notch, the plate at the edges of the notch being formed to provide cutting edges disposed at one face of the plate, a rotating point of intersection of the edge of the notch by each arm of the spider as it passes across the notch travels longitudinally of the lower cutting edge of the n tch toward the apex thereof, the plate being vertically disposed, the ends of the arms of the spider projecting below the lower edge of the plate whereby the spider is rotated by engagement of said arms with the ground as the plate is moved along the ground and a yoke for connecting a pair of said plates to one another for operation upon opposite sides of a row of plants, said plates having through one end thereof, the edges of the notch being formed to provide cutting "edges disposed at one face of the:plate,the plate being provided above and below the apex of the notch with openings for the inter: changeable reception of a pivot, a rotating spider mounted upon said pivot and operating against the face of the plate which is provided with the cutting edges and having arms longitudinally curved in the direction of rotation ofthe spider, the end of the plate through which the notch opens extending in advance of the arms of the spider and a handle secured to the plate. I o

In testimony whereof I hereunto .affix my signature.

JOHN BECHTHOLD. 

